Cutter for dispenser of aluminum foil and like material



July 28, 1964 c. E. BUSSE 3,

- CUTTER FOR DISPENSER OF ALUMINUM FOIL AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed May 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CLARENCE E. BUSSE.

July 28, 1964 I c, uss 3,142,217

CUTTER FOR DISPENSER OF ALUMINUM FOIL. AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed May 12. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 fun 3 I I'I'I'" III II II IIII INVENTOR. CLARENCE E. BU SSE m MOW United States Patent Ofifice 3,142,217 Patented July 28, 1964 3,142,217 CUTTER FOR DISPENSER F ALUMINUM FOIL AND LIKE MATERIAL Clarence E. Busse, 34 Oxford Drive, Lincolnshire, Deerfield, Ill. Filed May 12, 1961, Ser. No. 109,744 3 Claims. (Cl. 83-375) This invention relates to a cutter for a dispenser of aluminum foil and like sheet material such as waxed paper, or synthetic material sold under various trade names for household use. While the new cutter may be used independently of a dispenser, it has great advantages for dispensers. Aluminum foil and other sheet material is widely sold in rolls ranging from about 7 inches to 18 inches in length and even longer for special applications. Such sheet material is useful for kitchen use, wrapping food for freezers, wrapping parcels, etc. When aluminum is used, the foil usually comes in about one mil (.001") thickness. Aluminum foil in various lengths iuch as 25 feet, 75 feet or the like are readily available in grocery stores, supermarkets and the like. Rolls of aluminum foil or other sheet material are sold in paper cartons usually provided with a strip of serrated metal attached to the carton. This serrated strip is used as a cutting means for severing any desired length of sheet from the parent body.

The use of a serrated strip of metal is objectionable for a variety of reasons. One reason is the fact that the serrated strip is responsible for accidents in the kitchen, particularly cut fingers. Another reason is the fact that dexterity is required in manipulating the unrolled sheet to sever the same from the parent body. An additional objection is the fact that even when such a sheet is severed with dexterity, the cut edges are not smooth or clean. Another objection is the external location of the cutting edge which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to maintain the cutter clean and sanitary. A serious objection is the fact that the average person does not have the manual dexterity to obtain good cutting action. Consequently, a ragged tear or rip of the aluminum or other sheet material results, at least part of this being without benefit of the serrated edge Attempts have been made to provide simple, satisfactory cutting means for use with sheet material such as aluminum, waxed paper or the like. In addition to a cutting means being effective and safe, it is also necessary that it be cheap and easily adaptable to quantity production for application to dispensers for foil or sheet material generally. In fact, the absence of a simple and effective cutting means has been a deterrent to the presence on the market of a satisfactory dispenser for aluminum foil and other sheet material, apart from the usual carton in which these rolls come.

The invention herein disclosed and claimed provides a cutting means which is simple, cheap and highly effective. The new cutting means is readily applicable to dispensers generally and has the desirable advantage of not only being harmless and safe, but in addition, has the advantage of eflfecting a clean, smooth cut. The new cutting means can easily have its effective portion located within a dispenser and makes it possible to maintain the cutter proper in a sanitary and clean condition. The new cutting means also has the desirable characteristics of being efficient and cheap to manufacture, to the point where the cutting means is fully expendable. Consequently, the new cutting means may be readily applied to a throw-away cardboard carton.

The new cutting means generally comprises a cutter and means for supporting the cutter and sheet material to be cut in predetermined relation during cutting. The cutter as a whole has four essential characteristics which are collectively responsible for proper operation. One of these characteristics may be dissociated from the cutter blade proper as will appear later. The cutter as a whole comprises a sheet piercing or perforating means, and a cutter blade which is effective for severing after the initial piercing or perforation of the sheet is accomplished. It is this piercing or perforating means which may be incorporated in a cutter or may be provided as a physically separate element. The cutter blade itself must have a very smooth surface, a cutting edge which is forwardly (of the line of cut) inclined at an angle of substantially 45 to the work and must have a blade body whose thickness increases smoothly and rapidly from the cutting edge to a limited maximum thickness. This maximum thickness will lie in the range of about .020" to about .150 and the blade will reach its maximum thickness smoothly from the cutting edge in about Ms, although this value is not critical. The cutter blade does not have a thin cutter edge portion, as is true of knives generally. The transverse (to the line of cut) dimension of the cutter body away from the inclined cutting edge determines the smoothness of the cut edge. As previously stated, the full body thickness must not be less than about .020" and no more than about .150". A thickness range of .025" to .040" works well and is preferred. The minimum thickness, in some respects, will be governed by the mechanical strength of the cutter material. Too thin a blade will break. T 00 thick a blade has been found to have undesirable effects on the cutting action, the edges of the cut material being curled excessively. The angle of the cutting edge to the work is an important feature of the present invention and is substantially 45. The departure from this angle should be limited to about 5 or 6. Where a cutter is to be usable in one direction or reverse, then the cutter blade is provided with forward and rear cutting edges.

The length of the cutter blade may vary within wide limits. For practical purposes the cutter available to the sheet material should have a length at least about 4;" and can be as large as /1". Assuming that the sheet material being cut is supported along a horizontal line for cutting, only a small length of the cutter edge will be used, once the sheet material has been pierced.

For use on aluminum foil, the piercing or perforating means can be an integral part of the blade, the inclined cutting edge terminating in a suitable tip. If the cutting means generally is to be used on synthetic sheet wrapping material, it may be desirable to provide a physically separate stiletto-like piercing or perforating means of hard material, as iron or steel, which is strong and can maintain a sharp point. Such synthetic wrapping material may consist of vinyl chlorides, polyvinylidene, polyethylene, cellulose fibers or ordinary paper treated with special chemical binders.

The cutter blade material must have and maintain a mirror-like smooth surface and maintain its cutting edge cutter on the small side would benefit from a strong plastic as high impact polystyrene. Hard nylon is also desirable, not only because of its strength but also because its surface is self-lubricating.

Due to the fact that the cutting angle to the work is important, the cutter generally is associated with suitable cutter support means. Such support means perform two 3 functions. One function is to support the work (sheet material to be cut) along a cutting path. The other function is to support the cutter blade in predetermined angular relation to the work. The cutting path may be straight or curved as will appear later.

The manner in which the cutter is mounted and supported may vary widely depending upon such factors as cost, appearance, and the nature of the dispenser in which the cutting means is disposed, such as for example, an expendable paper dispenser or a more permanent and expensive dispenser of metal or plastic, whether the cutter is to be removable or locked.

The edge is, by comparison to knives, quite dull. Even in the form of invention where the piercing tip is integral with the cutting blade and may be exposed, the cutting means is quite safe. This is because the cutting edge or edges and piercing tip are relatively dull as compared to a knife.

For a full description of the invention, reference will now be made to the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, with certain parts broken away, illustrating an exemplary form of dispenser provided with a cutting means embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view looking down upon the dispenser of FIGURE 1, the top portions being broken away to illustrate certain of the inside details of the construction.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse view showing certain parts in section.

FIGURE 4 is a front view of the dispenser illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, with some parts broken away and others in section to illustrate certain details of construction.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse section of a cutter and guide means on line 5-5 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 6 is a section of the cutter at the center along the line of cutter travel along line 66 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is an end view of the dispenser illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, showing the cover and cutter above the sheet prior to piercing.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional detail on line 8-8 of FIG- URE 6.

Dispenser 10 here illustrated may be of suitable material such as plastic or sheet metal and has bottom 11, rear wall 12, front wall 13 and side walls 14 and 15 respectively and cover or top 17. Cover 17 has beaded edge 18 adjacent rear wall 12 and is hinged at brackets 19 and 20 at the rear upper portion of the dispenser. The hingeing may be effected in any desired fashion, such as for example, having pins extending from the bead 18 through brackets 19 and 20. Other hinge arrangements may be provided, as desired.

The cutter and support means for the cutter are disposed near the front upper portion of the dispenser, but it is clear that they may be disposed toward the rear of the cover or in any other desired location. As illustrated here, front wall 13 at the upper portion thereof provides edge portion 20. Extending forwardly from edge portion 20 is shelf portion 21 carrying upwardly extending support portion 22. Between portions 20 and 22, passage 24 extends lengthwise of the dispenser body. Parts 21 and 22 may have support bracket portions 22a. Portions 20 and 22 of the dispenser body have top faces 25 and 26 respectively, upon which sheet material 27 of the material to be cut normally rests. Sheet material 27 comes from roll 28 which lies within the dispenser. Sheet material 27 is conveniently guided by smooth rod 30 of metal or plastic as desired. Rod 30 is supported by pins 31 and 32 at the rod ends disposed in slots 33 and 34 in side walls 14 and 15 of the dispenser. These slots are so shaped as to permit the withdrawal or rod 30 when desired.

Cover 17 of the dispenser has upwardly offset portions 36 and 37 disposed opposite faces 25 and 26 of the dispenser. Upwardly offset portion 37 of the cover continues to form cover portion 38 and terminates in massive edge portion 40. Upwardly offset portions 36 and 37 provide spaced rails disposed above passage 24. End blocks 42 and 43 are provided for bridging the two rails to hold the cover portions intact. Edge portion 40 is made heavy to reinforce portion 37 of the cover against bending and make the entire assembly rigid.

When the cover is down, as shown in FIGURE 3, passage 24 has cutter 45 operating therein. This cutter is preferably of any suitable plastic, having a very smooth surface, such as polystyrene, nylon, durlin, tenite, Bakelite, Lucite, polypropylene 0r polyurethane. Cutter 45 has piercing tip 46, from which extend upwardly cutting edges 47 and 48 respectively. Cutting edges 47 and 48 extend toward base 50 of the cutter. Cutter 45 as illustrated here is adapted for movement in either direction so that cutting edge 47 or cutting edge 48 may be used. It is important that cutting edges 47 and 48 be at an angle of substantially 45 with respect to the line of cut. As previously indicated, some departure from this angle can be tolerated although the limit is about 5 in either direction. It has been found that if the angle between cutting edge 47 or edge 48 and the line of cut is substantially greater or less than 45 that the cutting action is erratic and that the sheet material, such as aluminum foil or waxed paper, is torn or crumpled rather than cut.

As FIGURES 5 and 8 show, from tip 46 and cutting edges 47 and 48, the thickness of the cutter blade tapers smoothly. The taper can be along a straight line, if desired, instead of curving outwardly as shown. Furthermore, the thickness of cutter blade 45 at the greatest part is limited to the figures previously given, namely from between about .02" to about .150. A preferred range is about .025" to about .040". While the length or dimension of the cutter from tip 46 to base 50 can be varied over wide limits, in practice, a rather short cutter blade is preferred. It is understood that the portion of the blade available for cutting is the only part whose dimensions, shape and finish are critical. The minimum length of the cutter blade should be at least about 4, although a somewhat larger size such as A" is preferred.

Base 50 is preferably long enough in the direction of travel so that stable operation of the cutter is provided. Base 50 extends laterally of passage 24 and lies beneath offset rail portions 36 and 37. Base 50 of the cutter can ride above sheet material 27 opposite face 25 and part of face 26 of the dispenser front wall portion. In practice, the cutter need not be pressed down but can ride lightly along the guide.

Cutter 45 has attaching portion 53 which is disposed inside of handle portion 54 shaped to provide shoulders 55 and 56 overlying rail portions 36 and 37 respectively. The cutter and handle may be assembled after positioning in the guide channel and the two may be pressed or cemerited.

Piercing tip 46 and cutting edges 47 and 48 are not sharp enough to cause injury. If a cutter with only one cutting edge is desired, such as for example 47, then the cutter body can be modified by having a body extend upwardly along the center line as the rear of the cutter. No edge would be provided there and this can be obtained on FIGURE 6 for example, by simply cutting the body from tip 46 up along the center line until base 50 is reached and then along the base to remove the rear half of the cutter provided with cutting edge 48.

The cutter embodying the present invention is usable with any kind of a dispenser, either of the permanent type such as described here or of the expendable type such as those made of paper board. Some of the details for mounting and guiding the blade assembly may vary depending upon the material of which the cover or dispenser body are made. The new cutter embodying the present invention is also useful in combination with the dispenser and dish former disclosed and claimed in my copending prior application Serial No. 87,405, filed February 6, 1961, now abandoned. Insofar as the details of the cutter are concerned, this application is a continuation-in-part of the abandoned application identified above.

What is claimed is:

1. Dispensing means for aluminum foil wrap in roll form comprising a handle, an arrow-head shaped foil cutter carried thereby, said arrow-head shaped cutter having a pointed arrow-head tip and an arrow-head base longitudinally spaced therefrom along the cutter axis with the handle supporting the foil cutter at the arrow-head base, said arrow-head shaped cutter being of smooth moulded plastic which can retain a foil severing edge without nicking or chipping, said cutter having its surfaces shaped so that every cutter section normal to the arrow-head axis has a symmetrical outline relative to a minor and major axis at right angles to each other, each section outline being free of any concavity, and those portions of each section outline on opposite sides of the major axis approaching each other on their way to meet at the ends of the major axis being shaped so that adjacent each end of the major axis the section outline resembles a knife edge section, the two loci of the ends of the major axes defining two straight cutting edges extending from the cutter tip to the base, the cutting edges being dull compared to a steel knife edge and being incapable of cutting a persons finger, each cutting edge and the arrow-head axis having a 45 angle therebetween so that said two cutting edges are at 90, the cutter being dimensioned so that the distance along each cutting edge from tip to base is between about Ms" and about said cutter thickness being the dimension parallel to said minor axis at a cutter section and increasing smoothly from substantially nothing at the cutter tip and substantially nothing at the cutting edges to a maximum value no greater than the length of the minor axis at any cutter section, said cutter being shaped so that its maximum thickness is reached about /8 from the cutting edge, the maximum cutter thickness lying in the range of from about .020" to about .150", slotted means for supporting foil to be severed, said slot determining generally the line of foil severance and being dimensioned to accommodate the cutter and permit the cutter to enter the slot when the cutter is oriented so that its axis is normal to foil being severed and the cutting edges are in a plane which is normal to the foil, and means for supporting the handle and cutter so that the cutter is movable generally axially toward or away from the foil and also is independently movable transversely of its axis in the plane defined by its cutting edges along a line parallel to the line of severance whereby said cutter, when moved toward the foil, permits the cutter tip to pierce the foil resting on said slotted means and enter the slot and be in foil severing position and thereafter, while in foil severing position and on cutter movement parallel to a line of severance, the cutter leading edge engages the foil to sever the foil from a foil region where foil severance has already been effected, said cutter material and cutter shape and dimensions cooperating to provide a smooth foil severing action provided the foil is first pierced by the cutter tip.

2. The construction according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means for the handle and cutter include means for rocking the handle and cutter for foil piercing travel and means laterally offset from the slotted means for supporting and guiding the handle and cutter for travel along a line parallel to the line of severance.

3. The construction according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means for the handle and cutter includes a rail portion upon which said cutter is slidable along a line parallel to the slot in said slotted means for permitting cutter travel for severing action and wherein means are provided for moving said rail laterally to or from said slotted means to provide for the cutter piercing movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 22,565 Gillanders Nov. 21, 1944 D. 141,875 Goldbert July 31, 1946 1,565,520 Stockton Dec. 15, 1925 1,566,990 Smith Dec. 22, 1925 2,266,629 Flynn Dec. 16, 1941 2,274,977 Currier Mar. 3, 1942 2,322,950 Madsen June 29, 1943 2,391,062 Madsen Dec. 18, 1945 2,413,544 Carpenter Dec. 31, 1946 2,753,938 Thiess July 10, 1956 2,823,969 Traver Feb. 18, 1958 2,921,493 Emmert Jan. 19, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,145,644 France May 6, 1957 

1. DISPENSING MEANS FOR ALUMINUM FOIL WRAP IN ROLL FORM COMPRISING A HANDLE, AN ARROW-HEAD SHAPED FOIL CUTTER CARRIED THEREBY, SAID ARROW-HEAD SHAPED CUTTER HAVING A POINTED ARROW-HEAD TIP AND AN ARROW-HEAD BASE LONGITUDINALLY SPACED THEREFROM ALONG THE CUTTER AXIS WITH THE HANDLE SUPPORTING THE FOIL CUTTER AT THE ARROW-HEAD BASE, SAID ARROW-HEAD SHAPED CUTTER BEING OF SMOOTH MOULDED PLASTIC WHICH CAN RETAIN A FOIL SEVERING EDGE WITHOUT NICKING OR CHIPPING, SAID CUTTER HAVING ITS SURFACES SHAPED SO THAT EVERY CUTTER SECTION NORMAL TO THE ARROW-HEAD AXIS HAS A SYMMETRICAL OUTLINE RELATIVE TO A MINOR AND MAJOR AXIS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER, EACH SECTION OUTLINE BEING FREE OF ANY CONCAVITY, AND THOSE PORTIONS OF EACH SECTION OUTLINE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE MAJOR AXIS APPROACHING EACH OTHER ON THEIR WAY TO MEET AT THE ENDS OF THE MAJOR AXIS BEING SHAPED SO THAT ADJACENT EACH END OF THE MAJOR AXIS THE SECTION OUTLINE RESEMBLES A KNIFE EDGE SECTION, THE TWO LOCI OF THE ENDS OF THE MAJOR AXES DEFINING TWO STRAIGHT CUTTING EDGES EXTENDING FROM THE CUTTER TIP TO THE BASE, THE CUTTING EDGES BEING DULL COMPARED TO A STEEL KNIFE EDGE AND BEING INCAPABLE OF CUTTING A PERSON''S FINGER, EACH CUTTING EDGE AND THE ARROW-HEAD AXIS HAVING A 45* ANGLE THEREBETWEEN SO THAT SAID TWO CUTTING EDGES ARE AT 90*, THE CUTTER BEING DIMENSIONED SO THAT THE DISTANCE ALONG EACH CUTTING EDGE FROM TIP TO BASE IS BETWEEN ABOUT 1/8" AND ABOUT 3/4", SAID CUTTER THICKNESS BEING THE DIMENSION PARALLEL TO SAID MINOR AXIS AT A CUTTER SECTION AND INCREASING SMOOTHLY FROM SUBSTANTIALLY NOTHING AT THE CUTTER TIP AND SUBSTANTIALLY NOTHING AT THE CUTTING EDGES TO A MAXIMUM VALUE NO GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE MINOR AXIS AT ANY CUTTER SECTION, SAID CUTTER BEING SHAPED SO THAT ITS MAXIMUM THICKNESS IS REACHED ABOUT 1/8" FROM THE CUTTING EDGE, THE MAXIMUM CUTTER THICKNESS LYING IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT .020" TO ABOUT .150", SLOTTED MEANS FOR SUPPORTING FOIL TO BE SEVERED, SAID SLOT DETERMINING GENERALLY THE LINE OF FOIL SEVERANCE AND BEING DIMENSIONED TO ACCOMMODATE THE CUTTER AND PERMIT THE CUTTER TO ENTER THE SLOT WHEN THE CUTTER IS ORIENTED SO THAT ITS AXIS IS NORMAL TO FOIL BEING SEVERED AND THE CUTTING EDGES ARE IN A PLANE WHICH IS NORMAL TO THE FOIL, AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE HANDLE AND CUTTER SO THAT THE CUTTER IS MOVABLE GENERALLY AXIALLY TOWARD OR AWAY FROM THE FOIL AND ALSO IS INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE TRANSVERSELY OF ITS AXIS IN THE PLANE DEFINED BY ITS CUTTING EDGES ALONG A LINE PARALLEL TO THE LINE OF SEVERANCE WHEREBY SAID CUTTER, WHEN MOVED TOWARD THE FOIL, PERMITS THE CUTTER TIP TO PIERCE THE FOIL RESTING ON SAID SLOTTED MEANS AND ENTER THE SLOT AND BE IN FOIL SEVERING POSITION AND THEREAFTER, WHILE IN FOIL SEVERING POSITION AND ON CUTTER MOVEMENT PARALLEL TO A LINE OF SEVERANCE, THE CUTTER LEADING EDGE ENGAGES THE FOIL TO SEVER THE FOIL FROM A FOIL REGION WHERE FOIL SEVERANCE HAS ALREADY BEEN EFFECTED, SAID CUTTER MATERIAL AND CUTTER SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS COOPERATING TO PROVIDE A SMOOTH FOIL SEVERING ACTION PROVIDED THE FOIL IS FIRST PIERCED BY THE CUTTER TIP. 